Tainted Snow
by Yaoifan101
Summary: Pitch attacks Jack and rapes him. Now Bunnymund and the other Guardians have to help the young Spirit recover and overcome his newfound fears. Little do they know, When Fear has been inside of you, it's much harder to get it out. JackRabbit! BunnymundXJack! Relationship will progress into romantic terms, but it starts out friend/family. Protective!Bunnymund!
1. Chapter 1

Bunnymund sighed softly to himself as his brush stalled over the light green exterior of the egg cradled tenderly within his paw. He didn't really need to paint the eggs right now; Easter was a good three months away. Then again, he didn't really have much else to do during the day. He only tended to the Easter holiday, and although he brought Spring to places that didn't mean he was a seasonal spirit or anything and had to bring it to everyone every year. Decorating his little egglets was just something he did to pass the time. He shook his head slowly and lowered his brush once more to finish the pink tulip he had been drawing.

"There ya go," he crooned setting the finished egg back on it's feet only to be bombarded by another group of them, squeaking to get his attention. He chuckled quietly at this and scooped one up, earning a cluster of annoyed nudges at his feet from the other eggs. "Wait ya turn," he chided as he wiped off his brush on the grass and shifted to look for the blue paint he'd seen just a second ago.

He spotted it shortly after he turned his head, but as he reached for it, he felt a shiver run down his spine that caused him to pause and retract. The icy breeze was faint as it ghosted over his fur, but in a place as warm as this, it stuck out like a sore thumb. Emerald irises narrowed suspiciously as the spirit sniffed the air, searching for a familiar scent. The fragrance accompanying the wind was icy and fresh, like snow, with traces of pine needles and cinnamon. Bunny grunted in recognition, "Frostbite," he growled out and placed the egg back down so he could stand to his full height. "That bloody twerp knows not ta come here uninvited," he grumbled. He released an irritated huff and started off, following the youth's scent like an invisible trail. Luckily, Jack's scent was incredibly easy to track when he was in a warm climate like this one.

After a few short minutes of going through some bushes Bunny spotted the child near one of the tunnels, oddly enough, in plain sight. Bunnymund raised a brow at this factor, knowing that generally when Jack visited him he was hiding out in tree tops or something with a snowball at the ready. The older male quickly hardened his expression; however, reminding himself that this could just be another one of the sprite's elaborate pranks.

"What do ya think you're doin' here Frost?" he interrogated in a gruff voice, approaching the boy slowly.

Jack didn't reply though; he was absolutely silent, which was a feat in it's own for the hyperactive teen. Bunny raised a brow once more as he neared the other, taking into account the spirit's slumped posture. His head was hung and his frosted hood was pulled up; covering his face from sight. He was leaning heavily on his staff and clutching it with both hands. His legs trembled and his knees bent, inclining towards each other almost like it was difficult for him to stand up straight. Bunny eyed the winter bringer cautiously, still wondering if this was a joke or not, "I asked you a question, mate." he prompted him.

Once Bunnymund came within about a foot of the teenager; he felt worry overpower his annoyance. He could hear the harsh sound of Jack breathing; deep raspy gasps that sounded like they hurt as much as you'd think they would. When he got closer, his nose twitched, instantaneously detecting the smell of blood and salt coating the air around the white haired prankster.

"..Frosty?" he asked uncertainly, stooping down a little, but still managing to tower over the boy. He craned his neck and tried to get a good look at his face, but with that damn hood he could barely see a lick of anything. He lifted his large paw and, gently, pushed the blue hood back, letting it slide off the other's head and settle back against his shoulders. Messy silver locks jutted out and light bounced off of them to cast tiny shadows over his pale skin. Aster frowned, placing his hand on the youth's shoulder, wordlessly urging him to look up. His touch nearly made Jack drop like a house of cards, but it did gain the desired effect and got the Guardian to comply. A matching set of reddened sapphires surfaced from beneath strands of white. Bunnymund's eyes grew wide. Sentiments of terror, shame, and agony haunted his gaze and etched worrisome lines onto his usually carefree expression. His skin was flushed and his cheeks and temple were bruised dark blue and purple. His entire countenance was twisted with misery and despair, as if someone had just destroyed the most important thing in his entire life.

Trembling lips parted only to release pitched breaths that sounded like failed attempts at words. The warrior watched, with a note of dread, as the winter sprite took a step forward, only to cringe painfully and barely stifle a cry. The child's knees buckled, giving beneath the pressure of his weight and sending him plummeting to the ground. Bunny swiftly stepped forward; however, and caught the smaller Guardian mid drop, allowing him to lay dazedly against his chest. He could hear the spirit panting breathlessly, like his one step was an equivalent to a mile that he had sprinted through. He shivered, apparently too exhausted to even reach up and hold onto the rabbit's arm to support himself. It seemed that even in the Pooka's strong hold, Jack's body was slipping; sinking down as his slender legs all but gave up and decided on collapsing instead of trying to remain straight. Noticing he was fighting a losing battle, Bunnymund carefully lowered them both to the ground, where Jack hissed sharply and ground his teeth to prevent further noise.

Even balancing on his knees appeared to be too difficult for Jack in his current state though; they wobbled unstably and slid in opposite directions every time he put strain on them. Bunny adjusted one of his arms and helped the young immortal sit, somewhat awkwardly, on the grass beneath them. Jack was sniveling; looking small and powerless and broken in the elder's grip. Bunny's stomach was doing flips, torn between anticipation and concern for his comrade; he'd never seen Jack so upset before. "Hey," he murmured catching the teenager's tearful eye. "What happened to you, mate?" he inquired in a low voice. He wasn't sure if he wanted to hear Jack's answer, however. He didn't know if he wanted to find out what had been so terrible to have caused him to behave so uncharacteristically vulnerable.

Upon hearing the question, Jack's entire body began to quake with fear. His steady voice cracked, sounding hoarse and soft instead of loud and boisterous. "P-Pitch," he whimpered difficultly, the name getting stuck in his throat as he tried to say it aloud.

Immediately, Aster's calm demeanor shattered and a menacing glower appeared on his face. His gray fur bristled while tuffs of it rose all long the length of his back, standing on end in reaction to the reply. "Pitch!" he snapped furiously. "What the hell did that bastard do to you!" he demanded, fully prepared to stand right up and go do unimaginably gruesome, graphic, things to the Nightmare King. The vague sensation of fingers curling desperately into his coat pacified his rage quickly and prompted him to look back down at the battered boy.

A pale chin angled itself up and pulsing blue orbs endeavored to meet Bunnymund's as they swam in the warm liquid that generated the salty aroma. Jack looked terrified and conflicted, like he was ashamed and unsure of how to tell Bunny about what had occurred. His eyes were flickering, surging with unknown emotions that tried to be conveyed in one glance... It broke the rabbit's heart to see the look of despair throb every time he failed to understand the unspoken plea being given to him.

Aster was positive that he had never felt so helpless.

Seeing his reluctance, the larger immortal subconsciously held Jack closer. "Hey, come on," he coaxed him soothingly. "You can tell me," he whispered encouragingly. He had meant to make Jack feel more at ease, but it seemed as though all his reassurance did was make him more upset. Jack choked on the tears and shook his head frantically, trying to tell Bunnymund just how wrong he was. Snowy locks whipped in front of the sprite's face as he threw his arms around the Easter bringer and began sobbing distraughtly into his fur. Bunny widened his eyes and stared down at the smaller male with an aspect of shock and pity. He frowned upsettingly and cradled the other securely to his chest, stroking his unruly hair to try and console the teen.

"Come on, Frosty. You can tell me," he insisted hiding the sorrow in his tone although it was visible in his expression. Jack shuddered and shook his head once more, "N-No! No no I can't!" he protested. "I-I can't I c-can't!" he wailed miserably. The large Pooka sighed and rubbed the back of the white haired sprite's neck, calming him just enough to silence his words. At this point he tried to prevent his view from wandering, but he couldn't stop himself; he needed to know what Pitch had done. A sharp pain shot through his chest when he discovered several angry scarlet marks showing through the tears in the blue hoodie. He didn't want to see anymore, and yet he kept going. With every smudge of dirt or darkening bruise he found on the once flawless skin, his chest tightened.

He was angry. Angry at Pitch for daring to hurt one of them and angry at himself for not helping Jack when he had needed him. Pitch had attacked Jack and he hadn't been there; he had abandoned the sprite and forced him to fend for himself. It hurt him more than he cared to admit. There were no excuses for this; he had failed to accomplish the one task given to him by the Man in the Moon. Sure, sometimes Jack and he fought, and sometimes the boy was more annoying than Aster could stand...but that didn't mean he deserved _this_. It didn't mean he _wanted_ him to get hurt. Nothing in the world could justify Jack sustaining any kind of injury from the likes of Pitch, not even the blizzard of '68. No matter how irritating or troublesome Jack was he was still family... and more importantly, he was theirs.

Their Jack.

Their kid.

_Their _family.

Bunny's guilty survey of the shaking silhouette drifted further down, flinching at every new wound he happened upon and dying a little with every one of them. Then he froze entirely... and stared at the large stain of blood on the winter spirit's pants.

Green eyes became small and Bunnymund was positive that if he had skin, he'd be paler than Jack. Realization dawned upon him and dread followed close behind it as all the pieces clicked together. His stomach sank into it's own acids while denial vainly attempted to cushion the blow of his imploding heart. "No.." he breathed out. His brow furrowed in devastation as he shook his head slowly, "Aw no," he whispered, not wanting to believe it was true or even that it could be true. His long ears flattened against his head as he peered down at frosty locks.

"Snowflake, did...did Pitch.."

He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. No matter how hard he tried to get that last part out he couldn't say it out loud; his tongue refused to form the syllables. If he didn't ask, then he could never get the answer. And his brain just couldn't take the chance of hearing the word 'yes' falling from Jack's lips. Jack just cried harder and louder, apparently unnerved just by the dull insinuation. The seasonal spirit didn't need the Pooka to complete the question, he already knew what it was because it was what he had been trying to tell his friend from the moment he arrived.

Sadly, the increased volume was all the confirmation Bunny needed, and he only wished he needed more than that to be sure. The rabbit grimaced painfully, but rubbed his large paw over the younger Guardian's trembling back while he repressed the urge to go seek out Pitch and tear him limb from limb.

"I-I'm sorry," Jack keened.

If Aster's heart hadn't already been broken it would have shattered once he heard that. He frowned sympathetically and shook his head deliberately, yet eagerly. "No. This wasn' your fault, mate," he told him sincerely. Jack buried his head further into the other's dampening coat though, "Y-Yes it is. I-I couldn't f-f..fight. H-He was..w-was too strong," he cried violently his voice cracking with self loathing from the traumatic experience. He had fought Pitch tooth and nail; he had thrown everything he had at the man, but it wasn't enough. No matter how cold his ice got, black sand still managed to wrap around his ankles and knock his staff out of his grasp. It grabbed his wrists and dragged him to the ground where he met those grinning amber orbs. It threw him to the ice and pinned him down; holding him in a mockingly cold embrace.

He yelled. He struggled.

He _tried_

He had tried so _very _hard to get away. It didn't make a difference though. Pitch hadn't so much as wavered at his efforts; his hands never hesitated and his smile.._never_ faded.

Bunny reached down tentatively and pulled the child away from him. A distressed, panicked, whine tore through the pale being's throat; fearing that Aster was leaving and too disgusted with him to touch him. Said Pooka frowned at this and lifted his hand to the boy, hiding a flash of hurt when Jack shied away. Moving slowly, as to not frighten the youth, Bunnymund touched the bruised skin of his jawline, memorizing the sensation purple brought to white with subtle, comforting, caresses.

When he finally tilted the immortal's head up, his own frame was shuddering with a mixture of conflicting intentions. Wet, light blue, spheres appeared hesitant of him, but still stared at him with a certain fixation that could have been described as desperate. He was paralyzed for a moment by the helplessness plaguing that regard, so much so that his words escaped him; leaving them in silence. It was more than he could bear. At that moment, Jack tried to look away; he tried to run, but was stopped by the unflinching grip that kept him in place. By the time Aster recovered, his voice had become low and husky like he was out of breath. "Listen here," he ordered softly, his tone thick with unshed tears. "This was _not_ your fault, Jack." he whispered vehemently, opting to trade in his nicknames for the slightly more intimate usage of the boy's first name.

Large heated droplets slid down porcelain cheeks as quivering whimpers answered the assurance, expressing both denial and gratitude over it. There was still a shimmering hint of doubt in those eyes though, fearing a cruel trick and sadistic rejection.

Bunny watched the immortal worriedly as he began to shake awfully. Unexpectedly, he released an inaudible sigh through his nose while his shoulders slackened in doleful understanding. He gently stroked the side of the sprite's cheek, mindful of the dusted discolorations, "Aw Jackie," he murmured sadly. He knew exactly what misgivings were racing through the other's head, and perhaps thats why he was so upset by them. Upon hearing the hushed address, the younger Guardian seemed to sense a certain lack of hatred that he had been fearing to catch in the tone, and relief hit him like a tidal wave. This time when the pale teenager clung to him, Bunnymund only compliantly wrapped his arms around him and gathered him wordlessly into his lap, allowing his svelte fingers to thread into, and clutch at, the gray and black fur of his back. He lowered his head and nuzzled the side of his snout against Jack's neck, forlornly. The rabbit closed his eyes and cringed softly while he listened to the heart wrenching sobs Jack released.

After a few seconds they were both shuddering, and after what seemed like days Bunny couldn't tell if those tears were Jack's or his own. He buried his face into the other's blue clad shoulder; his spine trembling ever so subtly as he utilized his voice.

"Ssshh. You'll be okay. It's a'right, Sshh. You're safe now...Bunny's here, I gotcha."

He didn't know who the words were meant to comfort though.

Perhaps both of them.

It really didn't matter anyways...

Because he'd probably never know.

TBC

**Don't ask me. Just don't. I don't know. Lol I just had this in my head and I was like gotta write another...just do it! LOL yeah It's terrible in comparison to by other fic (sorry) and I'm pretty sure other people have already done this plot. I do not like Pitch and Jack together...ever!..Now...Jude Law and Chris Pine...maybe ;) Lol! Yeah but it's not good really I was a little rusty and not too inspired when I first did this. But this is the first chapter and perhaps the second will be better. I went to correct this too after I had already corrected it and made it a little better. But Please please don't comment on the choppiness or my usage of the same words at times. Luckily I just finished my last final and now I'll have a lot more free time. OKay so...review!..and review nicely I don't wanna get any flames or ppl telling me that this pairing is sick. **

**(Tearful respect) It's beautiful!**

**Oh and another note. I normally post an update or a fic at 12:00 Am Dec. 25...you know as a christmas present;however, considering how everything is going and how eager I am to just have this story posted I may just have to use this as my christmas gift. I was going to wait and maybe post this as a present...but I need it to be up now! Lol so if I don't get a chance to update anything consider this an early present!**

**Merry Christmas!**


	2. Unerasable

The scent of blood had thickened around them, glazing the atmosphere in a coppery varnish that made Bunny feel positively sick.

They had been sitting like this, unmoving, for the past two hours and although Jack had stopped crying, he was far from okay. His face was pressed against Bunny's chest and his hands were still holding onto his back shakily, having grown tired from the effort he put into his grip. The Pooka was positive that if he could, Jack would have kept on crying till the end of time; it was only due to exhaustion and soreness that he had been silenced.

His paw grazed the top of the child's hair, smoothing it down to prove his presence, even though he knew it could never erase the deeds that had been committed. If only he could scribble over the mistake like he did with his eggs.

If only he could paint it white again.

He had long since stopped saying it was alright; it was hurting more than it was helping. The lack of sound surrounding them was less than comforting at this point, so much so that Bunnymund almost began to miss the sound of Jack's sobbing. Somehow, even that seemed better than this wretched unending quiet. At least when he had tears to go from he could see, with ease, what Jack was going through. But when he was like this..Bunny could only assume what kind of dreadful images were racing through his mind. Whenever the occasional whimper came or the tell tale tightening of fingers within his fur, Aster pictured childishly terrifying silhouettes moving through light and dark; conveying brief gestures and flashes of an event that the spirit's mind was trying and hoping to process in the least painful way it could.

Even for someone as strong as Jack, coping was a task too difficult. The sprite's purity faltered and his innocence trembled in the presence of such pictures. He blocked them out only to have them slip back into his thoughts with horrifying ease; he tried to watch and he tried to understand, but all that resulted were blurry faces and the tears that had made them appear so. His brain was broken and far too weak to fight off the shadows consuming it. He couldn't understand and he couldn't stand to remember..and, unfortunately, that was all his brain could do. All it was capable of was replaying images and sounds that had already been perceived and the only reprieve it offered was to dim the encounter's light and tone away it's clarity. At one point, it appeared almost like a crude drawing, features undistinguishable and movements choppy, cut off systematically as if Jack had shut his eyes. It was an infant's night terror, terribly vague and hazy, but distressing nonetheless. This was the only way Jack could tolerate it; he blocked out as much as could for as long as he could and when it came back he attempted to forget how vivid it had been.

A weak voice released a whine of pain while the weight in Aster's lap shifted uncomfortably, hissing sharply as it settled against it's will. "Bunny?"

Spring green spheres appeared swiftly from beneath gray lids, pulsing attentively at the small breath like utterance of his name. He carefully picked his head up, his chin sliding slowly off the child's shoulder before ducking down with just as much deliberation to press his nose into the mop of shaggy white locks below. His breath tousled the shimmering strands, expressing implicitly that the boy had his full attention.

"..It hurts.." he whispered tremulously.

The large rabbit bit his lip discretely at this and swallowed past an invisible lump that had formed within his throat. The sentence was so short and simple that it nearly sounded naive. That was what was breaking Bunny apart..the fact that Jack's answers were so childlike.. constantly reminding him that he had failed. He had failed miserably and the worst part was that Jack was the one paying for his negligence.

"Yeah..." he breathed regretfully. "..I know it does, kid." he murmured out softly. "I know." His response recieved a choked sob. There was really nothing Bunny could do and Jack understood this; he didn't like it, but he accepted it. Bunnymund wanted to help him, he could hear it in his voice, but he just...couldn't. There was no way for him to go back in time and fix everything. He couldn't magically right the wrongs Pitch had done against him.

He wanted to. He wanted to more than anything...but he just_..couldn't._

"Jack?" Bunny spoke up, laying a steady paw on the back of the other's head. "I know you're hurt an' tired, but we gotta get ya outta here. Ya losin' blood an' just sittin' around s'not helpin' anythin'." he stated calmly, knowing that if he appeared anxious Jack would most likely mimic him, which was the last thing he needed right now. "If I bring ya to North he can- "

"NO!" Jack yelled out, clutching hastily to the Pooka with a vigor that had died away hours ago. Fresh tears found their way down the sprite's pale cheeks, "Please don't leave me," he pleaded hysterically. Bunny lifted his head up and stared at the winter spirit incredulously, "Hey hey, easy kid. I ain't kickin' ya to the curb," he hushed him quietly, petting his hair until he calmed down. He reached down, subconsciously, to wipe away the tears leaking from blue spheres, "I'm not leavin'. I just meant that we need to go somewhere to patch ya up," he reiterated, gentling the shorter male like he would a child closer to Sophie's age.

Jack sniffled, although he didn't retract from the furry touch rubbing beneath his eyes. "Why do we have to leave for that?" he asked hoarsely.

"Cause North's got more supplies than me. Sides, we need ta tell them about Pitch." The very mention of the man's name made Jack shudder. "No," he sibilated quickly, far too quickly. He could feel troubled irises boring downward, confused and unable to grasp the reason for such a response. Vulnerable sapphire orbs looked up at him with a look of hesitant trust followed by foreboding. "I..I don't want them to find out, Bunny." he admitted suddenly.

Bunnymund's brow creased worriedly at the statement, "Jack, we can' _not_ tell em." he enlightened him.

The teenager's pale face twisted in distress as his throat tightened. He shook his head slowly, "You don't understand." he insisted hopelessly. Unwrapping his arms from around the rabbit, he leaned close to his chest, curling his fingers into the downy white fur there instead. "They can't find out..I-I couldn't live with myself if they knew what..what he did to me," he whispered so quietly that a regular person may not have heard. The older Guardian watched Jack hide his countenance, pityingly. "T-They'd hate me..." he said in a small voice.

Bunny's eyes widened, "Hate ya? Snowflake, they'd neva' _hate_ ya cause a' what happened," he stressed, despising that this had occurred to Jack as a possibility. A weak, muffled, sob left the youth's lips; however, sounding defeated and subdued.

"Yes they would," he whimpered.

Aster frowned upsettingly and ran his hand along the side of Jack's head, watching spiky tresses flatten and jut out simultaneously, "Jack, this wasn' your fault, mate. Why would ya think that?" he mumbled, wondering what they...what _he_ had done to make Jack believe such a thing.

Was it their neglect?

The centuries of solitude?

...Or had Pitch filled his brain with rotten whispers and fallacious insinuations?

Another shaky breath was drawn in, "B-Because I'm disgusting now," Jack replied. "H-How am I su-supposed to p-protect kids when I can't even protect m-myself? I-I don't even deserve to be a Guardian, B-Bunny," he choked out dejectedly, clinging to him even though he lacked the energy to do so properly. He didn't have enough strength to cry, all he could do was snivel whilst shameful tears streaked his flesh. He truly believed it, too. He was filthy. Why would the Guardians want him now? He was used and broken; humiliated and weak; he didn't belong with them. They would all think this... They would see him as nothing more than a regret...and the moon would see the error of his ways.

He would understand that everything he had ever done in relation to Jackson Overland Frost was, and always would be, a mistake.

Perhaps they would even convince Bunny of his fault in the matter. Maybe his companion would abandon him too...Maybe he had made a mistake of his own in coming here. Who was to say that the rabbit's opinion wouldn't change? Was anything he did or said set in stone? The other had no obligation to him after all; he was no longer a Guardian, at least as far as Jack was concerned. He had lost his privilege and ability.

How could he ever protect the innocence of children when his own had been ripped away from him?

Upon catching the traitorous remark, Bunnymund's gaze narrowed just barely towards the white haired immortal. "Hey! You a' not disgustin', mate." he retaliated sternly. He removed one of his hands from the spirit's head and used it to lift the pale face up from his fur. The upset youth instantly released a mewl of dissent and feebly attempted to escape the gentle grasp. It only tightened around him though, not enough to invoke fear or pain, but enough to stop his squirming.

There was a brief pause, and when Jack's eyes opened he found himself staring up into hardened, flaring, emerald irises. The emotion was deep and overwhelming, dragging the teen in closer then he felt comfortable with. He was by no means afraid. However, he was..anxious. Wary of what he might have done to arouse such a look from his comrade and nervous about what else the emotion encompassed.

"If anyone's disgustin' it's Pitch, not you." he asserted firmly. The tone was reproachful and protective over him; frustrated indirectly, but still caring. Jack tugged weakly, but the Pooka held his regard just as steadily when he tried. The ferocity of the sentiment wavered a bit, softening and cooling the heat of viridescent discs. "It's not like ya asked for this. It's not like ya wanted it. Pitch _forced_ you." he emphasized, despite the look of discomfort raging within the view opposing his own. "Snowflake, ya didn' do anythin' wrong. It's Pitch..it's all Pitch," he said reassuringly. "Blamin' ya for what he did would be like us blamin' Sandy for gettin' hit by Pitch's arrow. There wasn' anything ya could a' done, mate. An' I know that," he murmured quietly. "_We _know that."

The paw holding him loosened suddenly, and moved to push back the messy strands of snow white locks that fell against his forehead. The green stare pulsed with a certain warmth directed toward the winter bringer, "Nothin' you do could _eva'_ make us hate you."

The younger male closed his eyes, releasing a silent sigh as the soothing gesture coupled with the gentle words temporarily shoved away harrowing memories. For a moment..or perhaps an hour, he would believe in what Bunny told him. He would hold it tightly with both hands and bask in the promises it spoke to him; the doubt would come later, but for now it would be bliss

Out of nowhere though, the seasonal spirit grimaced. His features twisted with sensitivity and abruptly reminded Bunnymund of the issue they had forgotten that was still very much at hand.

In the midst of their conversation, the Aussie had nearly missed the, still, metallic scent emitting the child in his lap. It was even more potent now and the stain had grown against the teen's clothing, seeping through the fabric and onto the rabbit's own coat. Scarlet mingled with gray and white, tinting it rancid shades of an inverted color wheel as it dried to a rusty hue. Bunny respired resolutely and shifted beneath Jack's minor weight, adjusting his arms so that they were positioned beneath his knees and shoulder blades.

"A'right," he breathed out lowly. "Let's go, Frosty."

Jack didn't reply, he only wrapped his arms around the other's neck and winced when strong arms picked him up. While the Guardian stood back to his full height, the wind brushed against the blue eyed figure, wishing to hold and comfort him in the exact same way Bunny was already doing. The position was filled; however, so it settled to leave cold kisses against the sprite's skin before it whirled back through the trees.

The gray warrior glanced down at the gnarled staff laying, neglected, in the grass and whistled, silently beckoning a few of his eggs over and instructing them to deliver the item to Santoff Claussen. He knew that the young Guardian would want it close by. With a few squeaks, the egglets clumsily managed to hoist the long staff on top of themselves and began to march in the direction of the tunnels.

The Pooka looked at Jack once more, but the boy wouldn't dare open his eyes, not even when he sensed Aster's paw bringing him closer and rubbing indistinct patterns onto his neck. It was pacifying, but it would not get Jack to comply. They were traveling to a place the immortal did not want to go, to have a conversation that he did not want to have. He would follow Bunny...but he would not watch.

A muted thump resounded twice and, immediately, the ground eagerly gave way below them followed by a gust of air.

An unnoticeable shiver ran down Jack's spine and he tightened his grip about the elder, securing his fatigued grasp for more than one reason. Warm breath ghosted along the tips of his ears, in understanding, while faint strokes of light danced unevenly behind his eyelids; illuminating darkness without letting it ebb.

"Don' worry Jackie. I won' leave ya..I promise.

...

North huffed as he scanned the list in front of him. Christmas was over and yet that still didn't give him much time to relax. It was almost astounding how a child's behavior could change so rapidly from nice to naughty after the holiday was over. At the moment, he was multi-tasking, reading over the various names written on the scroll and walking through the bustling workshop to observe the toy development process.

It was clear that the bearded man was oblivious to the somewhat organized chaos of the place, thoughtlessly ducking when a haywire plane zoomed toward his head and stepping to the side every so often to avoid getting struck by an elf that had managed to attach a kite to it's back, all while never looking up from his papers.

By the time the russian was through half of the 'R's, he noticed a distinctly different type of frenzy rippling through the atmosphere. Abruptly, the doors burst open, revealing two frantic yetis who North approached confusedly. He began to roll the large sheet back up, "What is matter with you two?" he questioned raising a thick brow. The furry beasts were waving their arms around and talking so quickly that even North had a hard time translating.

The blue eyed Guardian rolled his eyes in aggravation, "Will you slow down! I can barely understand what you are saying," he remarked loudly to catch their attention. The dark brown yeti to the left sighed heavily before he garbled out something and motioned to the hallway. As the guard carried on, North's carefree expression gradually darkened with concern and dread.

"Bunnymund is here? With Jack?" he asked earning a nod from the large creature. "Why? What is wrong?" he interrogated. Having Bunny come here on his own was strange enough, but having him visit with the likes of Jack, no less, was just unsettling. Unfortunately, the yeti seemed just as confused as he was and shrugged, muttering softly.

"Jack is injured?" North repeated, hoping he had heard him wrong. Another nod brought forth a deep sense of alarm and anxiety from the master toy maker's stomach. In an instant the evidence of such fear was wiped from his face and replaced with a look of determination, "Take me to them." he ordered.

...

Within a couple minutes they arrived at the Globe room, where North entered through large double doors. All he had to do was take one step inside before he was greeted with the perturbing image of a battered, half conscious, Jack resting limply in Aster's arms.

A soundless gasp left his lips as he crossed the distance between them to inspect the wounded party. "How did this happen, Bunny?" he incited incredulously, his hands hovering centimeters away from the blue clad silhouette; too afraid to touch him, fearing that he would break. The Pooka's ears flattened instantly at the question and a frown appeared on his already tired features.

"It was Pitch, mate."

The specification was hissed in hatred while an all too familiar, yet different, voice cringed in reaction to it.

"But we defeated Pitch. How could he be back?" North asked, perplexed with Bunny's response. The Easter Bunny glared vaguely at the former-thief, "How the bloody hell should I know? Does it matta'? Isn't it enough to know that he's back and clearly able ta fight!" he snapped more harshly than he meant to.

His glower hesitated when he saw the sentiment of surprise on his friend's face as well as the shudder he had elicited from Jack. He closed his eyes briefly and shook his head carefully, "I'm sorry, mate." he apologized, though it wasn't certain who he was speaking to at this point.

"Well then...what has happened to Jack?" North prompted eyeing the teenage prankster worriedly. Bunnymund was forced to push back his heated tears of rage and regret when he heard this. He could barely take hearing it himself...and he hadn't even heard it. He could barely stand to ask Jack...and he had never even asked. He wasn't sure if he could tell someone else out loud.

That would make this whole day more real than Bunny wished for it to be.

"I don' know how ta tell ya this..." he bit out difficulty, not meeting North's stare and gritting his teeth as he battled with the tightening sensation in his abdomen. "Pitch..._Pitch_.." Bunny was unable to resist cringing and shutting his eyes while he swallowed the bitter phrase that was burning the back of his throat. North watched his fellow Guardian struggle to speak, unsure of what was wrong with the man.

Aster shivered as small stinging tears welled behind his closed lids. When he opened his eyes, he grimaced, glancing back and forth at various floorboards with a helpless, agonizing, emotion, "He.." He gaped wordlessly as his emerald orbs watered with a thin veil of moisture that turned the edges of his corneas pink.

He took in a quivering breath and finally looked at the other distraughtly, "He raped him, mate."

He could hardly keep his lip from trembling when he uttered the foul truth. Still sound enough to hear, Jack let out a dazed whimper and consciously curled closer to the Aussie, who welcomed the closeness fully at this time. The room grew silent and it was as if the entire busy workshop had stopped in mourning. The ground beneath them felt unstable and it felt like the sky itself was about to come crashing in through the roof.

For a second, North attempted to ask; ask if he was sure, ask how, and if there was a possibility that it wasn't true. But, alas, none of these ever got as far as becoming a thought and the appearance of devastation took residence rapidly in his previously bright azure spheres. Bunnymund only observed in sorrowful empathy as the larger warrior lifted his hand to his face and put his back to them. He stayed like that for a minute or so, and although he was quiet, Bunny could see the manner in which his spine was shaking. When the russian pivoted, Aster chose not to comment on the redness of his countenance.

"How did he..."

The Pooka shook his head before North could finish. "I don' know. I didn' get ta ask..an' I don' think he'll wanna tell me if I do," he said knowingly. "We can talk about this lata'. Right now, we need ta get Frost, here, taken care a'."

Too winded to protest, the bearded swordsmen merely bobbed his head and lead his teammate to Jack's room. Jack didn't live at the Pole year round, but he visited the workshop often during winter and stayed there almost full time when the summer months rolled around. When they reached the location, Bunnymund might have smiled, had their circumstances not been so dire. The floor was wooden and glinted due to the tendrils of frost and snow littered about it. The walls were different vibrant shades of light blue, and Jack appeared to have made an army of icicles that hung from the ceiling. The bed was against the wall that the door stood on and beside that was a drawer that held nothing atop it but a small lamp. In the corner, there was a dresser that looked more for show than anything and a table, along with a shelf that was filled with ice sculptures Jack had no doubt created. Finally, the wall directly opposing the bed, had about three long windows that were decorated with icy ferns.

It was certainly the epitome of a winter wonderland.

Sadly, Bunny was only able to appreciate the room, fleetingly, in passing as he stepped over to the bed. "He's lost blood, but not enough ta kill him," he explained offhandedly. He stalled beside the mattress and gingerly laid the spirit down on it, only to pause when a force pulled at his chest. Baby blue orbs flickered out from underneath dark lashes and fogged while they observed the Australian in disorientation. Bunny frowned faintly, but managed to hide it well as he placed his hand over Jack's smaller appendage, "It's okay," he whispered soothingly. Very carefully, he untangled the white digits from his torso and lowered them, "Ya gonna be fine, mate." he assured him with a weary smile.

Jack vacillated, uncertain of wether or not he should trust in the elder's words. Eventually; however, he seemed to relax and permitted his lashes to lower again.

Aster released a deep breath and turned back to North, "We need ta clean him up," he stated. North called over a group of yetis and directed them to bring a list of supplies back.

A tan one, that Bunny recognized as Phil, returned first with a number of bandages and medicines, which he hurriedly set out on the small table beside Jack's bed. Once he was finished, he looked down at the bruised child. A lamenting growl resounded from his breast though when he perceived the bad shape the sprite was in. The yeti lingered a few more moments, but then swiveled and walked back to the door where he instantly ushered the various spectators out and back to their posts.

North released a sigh and came to stand beside Bunnymund. "How could we have let this happen?"

"Trust me..I've been askin' myself the same thing."

A pause.

"Come on..let's get to work," Bunny suggested walking around to the other side of the bed. He sat down on the edge of it and laid his hand on the youth's shoulder. Jack flinched, but allowed the elder to adjust him so that his back was propped against the Guardian's upper body. A groan lazily escaped his throat once he was settled against the other's reassuring weight. Bunnymund tore his attention away from the glazed over expression on Jack's features, in favor of looking up at his red-clad companion, "We should get his hood off first," he advised.

North agreed tacitly and leaned over the half-coherent frost to lift up the hem of royal blue article. The tips of his fingers vaguely brushed against the milky skin of the teen's abdomen, eliciting a hitched breath of fearful anticipation from their youngest. When North grasped the fabric and lifted it up, Jack seemed to spring to life, suddenly reinvigorated with energy and terror. His lashes darted skyward, exposing wide, dilated, aqua spheres that screamed almost as loud as he did.

"NO!" Jack frantically jerked away from the arms securing him as he sat up. He panted quickly and squirmed, scurrying backwards and away from Bunnymund. His eyes were large and terribly alert, glassy only with the faint glitters of a bad dream. Aster's face alighted with surprise, but he recovered quickly and swiftly placed his arms about the teenager's waist. This only served to make the boy more wild in his movements and vocalization. He twisted, painfully, and pulled against the bonds as if he was a wild animal.

"Leave me alone! Get away! Don't touch me!"

He screeched louder when North attempted to get near him and when Bunny retained his grip. The Aussie grunted as he kept the frenzied spirit in his lap. "Jack it's a'right!" he said loudly in order to be heard above the commotion. He sucked in a breath while dodging a flailing limb, "You're safe, mate! Pitch 's gone! No one's gonna hurt ya!"

The small form was vibrating against him again, evoking rough sensations from his forearms which strained to keep the silver haired trickster from falling off the bed.

"Don't touch me! Don't touch me, don't touch me, _don't touch me!_" Jack yelled feverishly.

"Jack calm down! You're safe! It's okay!" he pressed. Seeing that the winter bringer wasn't in his right mind, Bunnymund finally tugged the immortal against him, tightly, and trapped his arms against his sides, making it so that he couldn't move. He held onto him firmly as he fidgeted violently for a few useless seconds, releasing agitated breathless huffs through his nose.

"Ssshh...it's a'right, mate. Ya a'right," Bunny breathed out heavily, catching his breath for a moment until a majority of the spirit's strength was swapped. A horrified whimper came from Jack's flushed lips less than two seconds later. Bunnymund allowed his shoulders to relax a bit, "Steady now. Everythin's okay.." he hushed him tenderly, watching as the other tentatively leaned against his own body for support.

He kept his eye locked on the slim figure, absently reaching up to smooth his hair out of his face, and, wholeheartedly, avoiding eye-contact with the third person inhabiting the room.

He could feel his stomach filling with hot tar when he pictured the destroyed look he knew he would find on North's face should he search for it. He cleared his throat and mustered up an adequate tone to speak with, "Ya need ta call the otha's," he addressed the larger individual solemnly.

There was a string of silence that followed his order, proving to strengthen the strain building between all of them. "What about Jack?" The voice was known to the rabbit; however, the unusual somberness it was using, was not. The gray Pooka continued to look at the top of said sprite's head, "Don' worry 'bout him. I'll take care a' Jackie-boy," he assured.

Another pause.

"I don' think he'll let anyone else, 'sides me, even touch him," he admitted honestly.

At this, North's lip quirked downward and his irises darkened to an uncommonly dismal shade of sapphire. He lowered his chin and walked resignedly towards the door to leave the two alone. His furry team mate was probably right, but that didn't make the fact sting any less. Once he exited the space, he couldn't even bring himself to release the doleful respiration that beckoned his throat; he was too upset to even express it. He strolled through the hallways with a new sense of lethargy gripping to his heels. Passing the entrances leading to the workshop, North noticed that the hustle and bustle of the area seemed to have died down; not that he could bring himself to care anyways.

The only thing that took precedence in his mind was Jack and his less than positive reaction. He had been scared..scared of _him._ It hurt deeply. Recalling those, untrusting, icy orbs created a distinct stabbing ache in the toy-maker's chest.

North entered the Globe room for the second time and made his way to the control panel at the base of the large twinkling ball. He wrapped his hand around the mechanism that would activate the Northern Lights and twisted it to the left.

He knew that this would hurt the others once they arrived-

With a pursed lip and a hardened expression, the warrior pressed the handle down and watched the glares and flickers of pink and green wind through the sky.

-But he was certain that it was going to hurt Pitch a great deal more once they did.

TBC

_**F*CK YEAH! I finshed the second chapter! Hurray! This took me so frackin' long to do! But you guys responded so nicely to it and I can honestly tell each and every one of you that I'm absolutely flattered. Really! I was shocked that everyone liked this story that much. So I worked on an off and going back and correcting and then adding...hating it...going back rereading and correcting again. Lol! But it's finished and that's all that matters. I'm sorry if it's not as good as you expected it to be though. I was a little repetitive but I'll just have to ignore it or else I'll drive myself insane. Yeah I reused words specifically the word 'arms' and movements and it makes me crazy, but sometimes there is just no synonym, so please don't mention it. And I was reading over reviews and alot of ppl were like- "could you have bunny taking care of Jack's injuries?" and I was like..."Um..fuck yeah he will. Who else is gonna do it? Honestly guys." lol!**_

_**But yeah of course Bunny would be taking care of Jack! What do you guys take me for?! Lol! Okay so, sorry this took so long and it's a little short. But on the bright side next chapter will have everyone arriving -plus- Bunny taking care of Jack...SO YAY! Please review and remember be nice.**_

_**Srsly though I am so happy that all of you like this so much that some of you have actually read that one chapter over ten times. It really inspires me to work on the chapters and It just...I love you guys plain and simple. And I love when you give me feedback and I adore when ppl give me their input so don't be afraid to request or ask questions. Yes..I know sometimes my poetic bullshit can make your head spin. JK!**_


	3. Purposely Perpetuated

_Darkness._

_It was everywhere, consuming the flaky sanity that lay untouched and drowning the mind in a fear that seemed unending. He dropped down through layers of unbreathable nothingness; void of hope, of peace, and of air. He fell sharply and without a ledge to catch himself on; paralyzed by the disembodied force that had brought him to this awful place. He missed the light. Tendrils threaded beneath his clothing, caressing his flesh searingly and grabbing onto his limbs possessively. His insides swelled and his skin grew numb;_ _this was all too familiar._

As a soft breath passed through his parted lips, a pressure resettled against his back, bringing him from his unearthly realm of shadows. The air was flowing, but not nearly thick enough, not when he had been deprived for hours in that gap in time. He hated that dark place; the clock refused to move and yet he never did the same, it was repetitive and ongoing, never ceasing, but never proceeding against the moments that he longed to forget. It was a ditch dug just for him that trapped his mind and froze his body. It was inescapable. The knowledge that the figure was near soothed a piece of his anxiety, but not even a hand could pull him out of this abyss.

It wasn't real, he told himself. He repeated it, desperately, hoping for a different outcome despite the chances posed at odds with him. The words were empty and did nothing to make him believe in their promise, how could he when he could see it so clearly. Those amber slits hazing through the blurs and ashen gemini appendages grabbing his shoulders to squeeze the very life from his veins; it was all so palpable, yet so impossible.

The only thing that really awakened his consciousness was the flourishing fire that blossomed down the length of his spine and settled at his tailbone. It brought tinges of new pain to his features, adding a cringe to an otherwise traumatized physique of stone. He refused to move. The foible felt too uncommon somehow, misplaced and undesired; moreover, he had learned that active motions only served to upset his injury further. He didn't have to move though, in order to feel the stiffness of his clothing. He yearned to keep them on, having grown rapidly attached directly after they had been ruthlessly torn away. They functioned as an obstruction that kept touches and invasive inspections away; concealing his secrets so they could remain. It came with an unfortunate downside however, this being that the material was damp and drying, and ergo brittle. It was constricting, which only aided the sensation of grime that he felt was caked atop his flesh.

Oh, how he longed to scrub it off until he had no skin left.

A lone hand settled over his stomach, but appeared to Jack as two different pairs, the image doubling past the point of clarity. One was slim and gloomy; lean fingers spread to catch as much space as they could, pressing down enough to hurt. That one brought memory, it brought fire and an ache that refused to leave. The other; however, was large and heavy, noticeably warmer in temperature as well as force, and proportioned abnormally to denote a separate anatomy. It hastily chased off the first that laid in the exact same spot, dusting the twin away to leave a single picture. Nevertheless, an intake hitched within his throat, disturbed by the innocent contact bestowed upon him. A hoarse, lingering, breath exuded his lowering abdomen as vague shards of cerulean flickered to their peripheral, searching for the black haired creature he thought to be the cause of every shift and creak. Stray disruptions jolted his world awake, filling him with a dreadful alertness that was nearly agonizing when all he wanted to do was sleep.

"Easy, kid."

The thickly accented tone was low and palliative, drifting into Jack's ears just as a glimpse of blueish fur caught his attention. Instantly, he relaxed, exhaling inaudibly; awash with assuagement as he was reminded of a factor he had almost forgotten. Bunny. Bunny was here and had been here, guarding and keeping him safe from the person that he feared hid beneath this very bed.

The message was comforting; even if he was trapped, he was not alone.

This notion; however simple, gave Jack a sense of safety in which he attempted to bask in long enough to give into the allure of rest he was aching to receive. It was a jarring and altogether devastating thing when his eyes were forced back open and he was ripped from oblivion by the sound of that very same voice.

"Hey, don' fall asleep on me yet, mate."

He could cry just from hearing that, but because he lacked the stamina, a whine of disapproval was all that came out. He had been so close and now it was gone; it had to be the cruelest denial he had ever been subjected to in his lifetime. The weight over his torso moved to rub an indistinct circle, "I know ya wanna rest, Frosty, but I can' just leave ya like this." An enlightenment came.

His lashes fell against his cheeks and twisted distastefully, he had nearly forgotten that as well. A sore groan emitted his throat at the thought; Bunny still had to look at his injuries and bandage them. He had started earlier, but then...well, after that, it just seemed to go blank. No wonder he had repressed it, it was already causing heated droves of anticipation, charging his chest with an oddly chilled feeling as it were. His companion rustled behind him, no doubt gathering supplies for the unwelcome venture, preparing for what was to come about inevitably. The sprite's right hand twitched uncoordinatedly, dull shocks of electricity stimulating sensation back into the appendage as he urged it to stir. Shaking with a lack of energy, his palm crawled across his front, reaching to twist into the hem of the sweatshirt. It was pointless, but to his foggy reasoning, it assisted something when he tugged it lower, endeavoring to keep it there.

"It'll be okay," Aster murmured distantly, catching the discrete gesture with relative ease. The confidence held within the phrase was unmatched by a widespread indecision that clouded the rabbit's consideration though. He could be lying through his teeth for all he knew, it was uncertain; the status of their entire situation was simply one big gray area. Nothing was guaranteed. Honestly, given the circumstances, it was possible Jack would react the exact same way he had to North; there wasn't any way to predetermine the outcome. The boy was fragile, and his mind, even more so; his reasoning was nothing more than a guess. He was relying on the one thing he could, what he knew best...hope.

A dry wheeze exuded the youth's chest, "It hurts, Bunny." It was soft, most likely unable to be said any louder, considering the spirit's condition. Jack didn't expect a response; he didn't even really want one to begin with, he just felt the need to state the obvious. His brain was getting practically drunk off the pain and it was buffeting his thoughts down to a simplistic level, virtually disabling him from having any intelligent, well thought out, sentence come out of his mouth. Speaking allowed him to bridge the canyon sized gap that formed between them in the silence. It wasn't to satisfy the opposing presence, but rather his own; it let him know he hadn't been swept up in recessivity.

The paw adjusted to pat his covered side assuringly, "I know, Frosty. I know. I'll take care a' it in a sec," he hushed quietly, collecting the last of what he needed. Jack wasn't positive wether this acknowledgment of time relaxed or unnerved him. He was definitely hurting and wanted it to stop, but on the other hand, it was the process of _how_ to make it stop that he was trying to stall in the first place. The dread that consumed him when Bunny ceased his actions of preparation though seemed to convince him that he was leaning more towards suffering through the pain than facing his problems. At least that option had a foreseeable end to it.

Bunnymund straightened his posture, foolishly venturing to get comfortable in readiness for the oncoming twister they were about to embark into. "A'right Jackie," he addressed the teen evenly. "I'm gonna havta take off ya hood, okay?" he prompted with care. He wasn't patronizing Jack, in any normal position the boy would have thrown a fit if he had, he merely wanted to keep the winter bringer informed. Since he couldn't indicate what North had done wrong, he had to choose his motions carefully to assure the same instance wasn't repeated. The last thing Bunny wanted was to have that same type of fear invade Jack's mind; that ghastly suspicion about what was going on and what his intentions really were. If he had to tell Jack what was happening scene by scene to prevent that, then so be it.

A wince drifted across pale features, contorting the tired expression uneasily while a mewl of despondence vocalized. He didn't want Bunny to see what had been done. _He _didn't want to see it. His bare flesh had been hidden from him since the moment after and he still couldn't bear to inspect the damage for himself. He _felt_ hideous nonetheless; used, filthy, and-...and he didn't want Bunny to remember him that way.

Why did he have to know? Couldn't he just remain blissfully unaware of the splotch of red on the white canvas? Was it really that necessary?

Why, on top of everything else, did Bunny have to witness his shame?

Hadn't he suffered enough yet?

He shuddered at the thought of exposure; he didn't want to be touched. He didn't think his friend would hurt him, he trusted Bunnymund, but trust didn't matter when he was afraid of reminiscing. His memories were traitorous with a mind of their own and MiM knows what they would project, should he allow a similar happening. They had already betrayed him with North; the second his shirt lifted, Pitch had flooded his senses. Everything went black and all he could feel werethose hands, groping, scratching, plundering...destroying. A silky, misleading, timbre whispering mocking phrases into his ears; rough particles chaining him and ice sliding heatedly against his spine.

It was misery and he didn't want to go through it again.

A downy caress prodded the side of his temple, as if his skin was made out of glass. So, this was what he'd been reduced to? A thin pathetic sheet of clear, see thru, material incapable of supporting itself? What a pitiful transformation he had undergone. In just a few short hours, he went from a powerful winter spirit into a stupid pane of glass, how satirical. It was cruel for Pitch to have left him like this...cracked, but not broken. The heartless bastard wanted to watch him fall apart on his own, slowly; he wanted to savor it.

All that was left to figure out was how much more force it would take to brake him then.

...He wondered how small the pieces would be and how impossible they would be to put back together.

"I know it's hard, but I can' do anathin' with it on," his companion whispered sadly. He didn't know why Bunny insisted on doing this, drawing this horrid experience out longer than he needed to. Everyone knew that waiting for something to happen was worse than the actual happening, coaxing him like this was only making it more difficult. Jack frowned and leaned heavily into the gesture, relishing fleetingly in the warmth that radiated from the figure wrapped around him. He never wanted to leave. If he had the choice, he'd stay in this spot until the world stopped spinning. A gentle sigh brushed his cheek, "I don' wanna do this to ya," Aster admitted in a dismal octave. "This isn't easy fa' me either, mate. I hate seein' ya like this," he whispered huskily. Sensing the warrior's distress, silver locks slid blindly against the other's jaw, seeking to console what he did not understand. Bunny _had_ to know that what he felt was mutual. The faint quirk to Aster's complexion justified the fading smirk that his act had elicited. Of course he did, he wouldn't look so terrible if he didn't. The reciprocal was how Jack knew why the smile disappeared; it was incapable of surviving. The poor outward sign of past normalcy would have been eaten alive once revealed to the harsh conditions of real life. "I'm not gonna hurt ya..." he stated quietly. The assurance seemed far more vehement than was necessary, but Jack understood; understood the need to distance from certain..people. He understood more than he should.

"I promise I'll be as quick as I can."

He whimpered. He didn't want this to happen, but he didn't want Bunnymund to share in this pain as he was rather clearly already doing; no one should have to experience even a fraction of this. The promise was spoken desperately, pleadingly, like something awful would happen if the rabbit didn't receive consent. He couldn't bring himself to say no... so he nodded. The saliva did little to dampen his throat as the Pooka nudged the side of his face appreciatively.

It felt like he had just signed his soul away.

Section by section, the air hit his bare flesh, making him squirm as consciousness refused to release him from it's grasp. Bunny was slow and cautious, unequivocally endeavoring to keep the teenager calm by doing so, but in actuality, only making it worse. It was accomplishing the exact opposite effect; it was torture. The tauntingly drawn way his nakedness was exposed and his discomfort prolonged..it was too similar to something he dared not recall. He tried not to focus on the silent scratch of cloth against skin and the shallow breaths beside his ear, but he just couldn't.

He was scared...and he _hated_ it.

The panic gripped him swiftly as Bunny pulled the shirt over his head; he felt sick. He resisted the darkness; he flailed, reaching for a ledge to stop himself from falling any further. He _tried_ not to succumb to memory..but it overtook anyways. This was too much like Pitch, there were too many unpleasant parallels to draw between the two. Sitting there, stiff to the invasive treatment made it feel like he was letting Pitch do this all over again. He gritted his teeth and clenched his eyelids tightly, shuddering as he strove to breathe.

_Slim fingers held his waist and jaw, tightening and squeezing as hot puffs ghosted against his neck. The voice snickered at his shivers while dark lips traced his pulse, imagining what it would feel like should it stop unexpectedly. Nails dug in, piercing his hip and relishing sadistically in the blood that followed, dribbling into the snow. He heard his hissing tone as a hand pressed down on his chest, testing his lungs like this was all some sick game. He made out every last acidic word as the pressure increased, forcing him to struggle to inhale._

_That grin..._

_He needed air, it was scarce..._

Jack's features were tense and his jaw was so tight that it looked close to snapping. His abdomen rose and fell faintly, far too faintly; as if he was unable to move anymore. A soothing paw rested above his jutting hip bone, blotting out the rough simulations that the black sand dwelling within subconscious conjured. Harsh whispers died piecemeal while the touch continued to burn until he was swiftly yanked from his daze. Blue tints snapped open. His pupils dilated, shrinking fearfully from the light as it enveloped him; taking him far from the darkness that choked his being. The weight lifted rapidly, allowing oxygen to flow back into his body with a frenetic gasp.

"You okay, mate?" Bunny inquired lowly, pausing to consider the child.

Momentary relief flooded the spirit as he began to breathe again. It was okay. _He _was okay; he nodded. A wet rag dabbed the incision below his ribcage, causing his head to fall back against the Australian's shoulder as a loud hiss resounded through his teeth. It hurt more than he had thought; the pain didn't compare to the initial blow, but that mattered little at a time like this. He grunted breathily, rolling his neck so that his ear was, coincidentally, in a perfect position to hear Aster's heart beat. It was steady and unceasing; a rock in an otherwise enraged sea. He adored it only because it was the most grounding thing present that couldn't be seen. It was the polar of Pitch's haunting existence and fought with it head to head at each pulse. Jack groped, without vision, seeking a form of comfort that words were unqualified to compete with. He needed something to hold, something tangible, something that would remind him that he wasn't really in the place he saw himself in.

His small hand clung to the arm around his waist, savoring the dissimilar sensation of soft fur in comparison to skin.

"Sh," Bunny murmured.

A hitched noise answered the utterance, appearing scared and caught off guard. Jack's fingers curled deeper into the thick gray hair, using such a ferocity that Bunnymund's forearm began to ache. The sprite was horrified, he had allowed the light back into his world, longing for reprieve, but it had only opened him up to a new realm of despair. He wanted to shut his eyes; shut them and pry himself from all of this. The day no longer gave solace, the events that coincided with it were foul and deceitful; he hated it. He hated how it felt, hated the glance, hated what it made him remember. He wanted to destroy his perception and never get it back...but he couldn't. When he closed his eyes, all he could see was Pitch. The shadow would invade his senses, drowning and overpowering him with all too accurate illusions that danced frightfully behind his lids; violating every last fragile barrier he had left.

When his eyes were closed..the scenery went bleak and an uncommon chill crept into his blood.

He systematically shut, opened, and re-shut them; hoping each time that he would find some sort of in-between. Nothing but the extremes revealed though, the balance slipping far too quickly in the midst of just as and right before. Now, icy irises were wide and small, pulsating dangerously and strained forward although they were stripped of sight. Too confused to flicker, they remained immobile; becoming a blinding shade of sapphire as the corneas grew pink. A violent tremor shook his being, eliciting a frantic whimper that pleaded hysterically for guidance. In his paralysis, it was Jack's method of screaming. Calling out to anyone who could hear him that could ensure he wasn't as alone as he seemed to be in this awful nightmare.

One hand smoothed the newly placed bandages on his side while the opposing appendage stroked his cheek tenderly. His unearthly gaze flared and his body jerked from the touch. He whined lengthily when the fur returned, undaunted by his rejection, "Hush now." A deep stolid voice ordered lullingly from above. "Ya doin' great, mate." It praised him warmly while a disembodied force persistently tended to his injuries. It hurt, dully now, but only because Jack had gone abnormally numb for some reason. With digits he felt weren't his own, he squeezed the elder's arm; communicating, without words, his panic.

"Shhh, I'm almost done. Ease up, kay?...Just a li'l more." The voice assured lightly. His brow twitched as his teeth began to tremble against each other; chattering vaguely and unevenly. He couldn't be at ease, he couldn't even move. He clutched even tighter- afraid that he was slipping away. "Hey hey, calm down love. I'm right here," It quieted emphatically, growing hushed and low as it went on, "I'm right here... I gotcha n' I'm not lettin' anyone take you away," The whisper vowed protectively.

The intonation registered this time around, conveying familiarity and recognition. Somewhere in the demolished depths of Jack's psyche, the presence expressed safety and trust, and that alone was enough to help the vice grip about the Pooka's limb to loosen. The compromise to the winter entity's dilemma was still invisible, but the anxiety lessened with the cognizance that he was being watched over. Dark feathered lashes dipped hesitantly, flickering to shade the cooling crescents as their intensity dwindled.

The incapacity had faded mostly, but the mental blur had not yet cleared from his foggy brain. The inability to think refused to lift, leaving him dazed and still too reluctant to fully banish his visual awareness. He exhaled unstably and rolled his head drunkenly against the man's furry shoulder, hoping to stimulate.._something_ back into his nerves.

"This'll all be ova' soon. Just gotta tuff it out a bit longa'." Bunnymund murmured, concentrating on cleaning off the remainder of blood from the spirit's skin; it was everywhere, terrifyingly enough. The fluid was caked onto nearly every inch of ivory, darkening the pure pallor a grimy shade of russet. What he despised most was the fact that, although the stains were being washed, it still felt like the marks would never leave, like they'd hide forever so no one could heal them.

Jack let loose a drawn out moan, he didn't want to tuff it out; he was sick of being good. A tremulous sigh left his lips while a tear slipped from his perception to his chin; he didn't want to be brave anymore. He was hurt, exhausted, distraught, and confused.. and he didn't want to control himself. He wanted to struggle and end this at once, but the choice wasn't his; he was powerless and he couldn't do a thing about it...It was scary.

An overwhelming pressure built at the bridge of his nose, creating veils of distorting moisture that broke and fell down his face; expressing his swelling distress.

His lip began to quiver uncontrollably as everything unfocused, blending sights, sounds, thoughts and emotions into one huge smudge. Threads unraveled from their tightly coiled positioning and fell freely towards the awaiting oblivion, content that nothing mattered. A weak sob escaped Jack's throat and a pattern quickly formed in it's likeness.

"Come on now," Bunny chided upon hearing the hushed cry. "You'll be a'right," he told the child sincerely. If only the Frost's sentiments weren't so comprehensible. If he wasn't capable of reading every extent of the youth's internal struggle, then it wouldn't hurt so badly.

A string of upset breaths left the white haired being's chest, trying to cope with his predicament. He wished this wasn't happening. He wished Pitch hadn't come to Burgess to find him. He wished he didn't have to deal with this. _Have to_..that was hard to swallow; he had no choice. Then again, he _never_ had a choice. The ability had been stolen long before now and he was beginning to doubt that that factor of his life would ever change. It would always be unfair..because that was how the universe functioned effectively. If everything was fair... there wouldn't be much point, would there?

It just...wouldn't be real. It would be a dream and nothing more, slipping into nothing as the first light of dawn peeked over the horizon.

...God he wanted to sleep...

His face felt slick and warm...the numbness was ebbing, working it's way out of his system right when he wanted it to stay. Stirring stings awaited his physical recognition while shocks of hatred and misery showered his subconscious. He had almost slipped, _almost_ been at peace...and now it was gone. Feeling was gradually restored to his entire body, revitalizing each section at an agonizing pace, forcing him to assess every damage that had been done, physically and mentally.

It was unwelcome.

God, he didn't want to feel anymore! He wanted to be dead! As dead as he had been under the ice! He shouldn't even be alive to be experiencing this kind of torment! What was he being punished for! Why couldn't anything be fair, why did the damn sun ever have to rise!

He rejoined the hellish atmosphere in his mind, choking on the tears with a lack of care for the lifelike silhouettes surrounding him. Through it all, the contact of cloth caressing his skin subsided, and with it, left the resounding heart beating against his eardrums. Instantaneously, it vanished...all of it. His ghost-like figure rested against the wooden headboard, taking in it's hard unforgiving exterior in correlation to his weakness. The warmth had been there no more than seconds ago, why had it gone missing? He attempted to move, but it only evoked a sharp grunt and his unwilling compliance to remain limp. He called out his comrade's name, cried out for someone to help, he nearly screamed it. He was scared and he wanted Bunny, but he wouldn't come. To Jack, seconds were hours, and a slim minute was a day spent in uncooperative loneliness. The whispers of shadows encouraged his thoughts, assuring venomously that he had been abandoned; that it was only a matter of time before he was stolen in the real world as well..soon Pitch would come in the flesh and he wouldn't be stopped. A despondent wail echoed, frantic to reject the logic, urgent to wake up and discover it wasn't true. The utterance of dissent merely reverberated and faded, forgotten in the distance. He wanted to collapse and curl into a ball; to suffer while he waited for his inescapable demise at the hands of his tormentor. He had no chance, his future was a bleak as his past.

He was a single snowflake plummeting down into the darkest depths of hell...he would melt for sure.

...

"Jack!" The vocalization rang like a shrill bell, doing little to startle the wayward child. "Jack! Jack I'm right here. Jack!" Aster continued to call the boy insistently, grasping his shoulders tightly and shaking the immortal in a desperate attempt to get his attention. He had felt it sharply in his chest, the tearing sensation to his stomach, like a golden flicker had just burnt out. No, he thought frantically; he should have more time. How could it have been so rapid? Not on his watch, it couldn't happen now! Jack was stronger than this, no matter how battered, he had to hold on! His volume heightened as he forced every last ounce of his ability into transferring the dwindling burn within his abdomen into Jack..it had to work..it just had to.

He could die if it didn't. And there was no bringing him back past that point.

...

_Darkness. _

_Glowing eyes and ebony particles swooping in, diving deeper, to nibble at his soul._

_It was exposed and unprotected, and _deliciously _surrendered; the boy was an all-you-can-eat buffet. Slivers of blue watched, detached from the event, but conscious of the scenery. He dropped, cradled in the uninfluential arms of dust that sucked him dry, uncaring and empty. It was over and it didn't even matter. South was the only possible direction, so he went with it unthinkingly. Why fight back? What chance did he have and what could he hope to gain? Everything was coming to a close, feeling, memory, awareness; life. It would end wether or not he was ready._

_Blue drifted shut. Soon he'd be nothing; undistinguishable from the various apparitions encasing him..._

Ba-bump.

_A jolt ran up the white haired Guardian's spine, instantaneously rousing his sentience from it's place amongst the fearlings._ _Small rays gleamed, penetrating the lifeless pit and practically burning the black beings to the point where they hissed and released Jack from their clawed clutches. For a brief moment, Jack fell, stunned by the actions and frozen in the glitch, but then, the luminescence brightened..and the descent halted. He squinted, unfamiliar with the radiance that felt achingly obvious. For some reason, the foreign entity didn't cause him the same type of pain it did to the creatures still moaning below him; instead, it created a strange fluttering, reviving something that had been dead and renewing it's strength so that he could recognize._

_Without warning, a breath was sucked in through his mouth, despite his inability to inhale, and his eyes flew open._

...

Murky hues blanched and smeared, running to reveal blinding shades of the images he saw as hauntingly palpable. His irises pulsed wildly with a gasp that rejuvenated his world and added names to the objects that brought him reassurance. Before any further syllables could escape the elder's lips, Jack threw his arms around the rabbit's neck, "Bunny!"

Of course. The fatal plunge followed by his impossible rescue, it could only have been Bunny. The scarce sensation thumping softly in his chest, the thing that had been lost and returned..what didn't belong, but existed in spite of everything..

It was hope.

Furry limbs wrapped around his pale physique securely as the Pooka breathed heavily in relief and nuzzled his head, "I thought I'd lost ya.." Jack relished in the solace of oxygen and buried his face further into the man's shoulder, shakily tightening his grasp as he tried to cease the inane noises coming from his mouth that had originally been words. It was gibberish. It was a mix of apologies and pleas, confessions to vulnerabilities that Jack would never have said aloud, had their situation not been what it was. It was impossible to understand, but for the few minutes that it existed, a quiet murmur prevailed along side it; conciliating ramblings and pacifying paralyzed drops. He knew the force was a gift; the optimism he possessed had been taken from an overflowing source to a location where none resided. Bunny had given him that hope because, unwittingly, Jack had lost all of his own in a swift show of insecurity.

Shallow huffs lulled the shaken mood of the room as white strands ruffled, "Neva' do that again." Aster closed his eyes, swallowing harshly, "_Neva' _just..lose hope like that, Snowflake. Ya don' understand what a thing like that could do to you." The rabbit's heart was humming in his ears, slowing ever so slightly as he lectured him at a pace that Jack was unable to help but find incredibly soothing. The emotion, however diluted, gave the winter spirit a taste of the regularity that his life would lack for the time being, and that helped ease the calamity. It no longer mattered what was being said, only that it was said. Bunny was here, period, and that's all Jack cared about. "It'll hurt ya more than ya think," Aster informed the youth silently. Spring shades rejoined, "Promise me you'll neva' do that again, Jack." he instructed, managing somewhat of a stern expression. Bunnymund distinguished, what he considered, to be a nod against his coat and chose to accept the gesture in lieu of a verbal contract. Shoulders slackened, "Really think I'd leave that quick?" he spoke up with a meek teasing nature to his tone. "Just couldn' deal with ya back from where I was, mate." he explained with a breathless quality.

Jack didn't respond to this, he was too ashamed to speak. How could he have doubted Bunny so quickly like that when the other had only been trying to help? He had only left for two seconds and Jack had jumped to the worst possible conclusion he could reach. The icy tears were soundless and possessed a feverish sentiment to their silence; simply existing to exist as their owner weakly whined in reaction to the Pooka's efforts to heal.

No words, no thoughts, no disruptions dared to pervade the process this time, it was mute and perfunctory, lacking the very same elements that both corrupted and spurred it forward. Porcelain limbs simply laid stationary, previously troubled ponders at last able to rest without fear of intrusion by the dark haired male. Tendrils traced the curve of his back, racing to join together and form intricate canals atop his skin. The coolness was welcome to a degree; the earth was burning and the sky, stiff, but the familiar cold did nothing to ease his cuts. Droplets escaping into the lacerations stung immensely, seeming a great deal more like lemon juice than water upon exposure. Pale extremities hid within the field of gray, concealing themselves to the nail at the roots where they became inanimate again. No sound, though.. The inner column was arid and raw as it contracted to add a non existent moisture to it's walls. The coating of air was unpleasant, making the factor far too apparent when it brushed against the windpipe and caused the inhalations to wheeze.

Lengthy ears swiveled at the slightest when the cloth would graze a wound, the rasp becoming vaguely louder than before. The linen's pallor was tinged pink and the wetness prompted the blood to spill into the blushing rivulets flowing down the complexion. Their graceful and unthinking movements appeared so peaceful that it was hard to believe they were actually causing a great deal of pain for another.

It was the misplaced shift, intended to bring relief, that brought about the great need, which swelled within the youth's throat. "B..Bunny.." Jack called weakly, distantly, slipping between the cracks of two realities that mirrored similar peaks of an obscurity he was becoming rapidly acquainted with. The hazel material was irritating, inflaming his injury and chaffing sensitive skin with a majority of his own lost blood that had dried to mold a crusty veneer.

"I'll get ta it soon, Snowflake." Aster responded composedly, aware of the obvious dilemma they were both facing. An eagerness to return to the taciturnity prevailed through the phrase, and resumed the task to it's prior quality; it was better this way. This short window was the last mile before the hurdle, the stalemate before the war, the final hour of tranquility before the climax. It would be Bunny's..and Jack's last opportunity to escape and prolong, to take comfort in knowing that the time had not yet come to beckon and the requirement was not yet dire. The last stretch was not upon them and could still be avoided...for a few more minutes at the very least. However, the understanding that it would soon be at hand resulted in the necessity to savor the diminutive duration of remission...Because once it was over, the real challenge would present itself and there would be absolutely nowhere else to run.

So, the steps were taken unhurriedly, almost unrealistically so, in order to preserve the span. Every swipe of the rag, every dab of salve, and every stitch was carefully and purposely extended. There was no explanation of why, nor was there any complaint concerning a lack of one.

...Then the nudge came, that dismaying, _disastrous_, disruption that was to commence the entire loathsome operation he was to undergo. MiM, how Jack dreaded it.

"Jack.." Bunnymund was quiet and reluctant, clearly harboring just as many qualms over the subject as the younger. "It's...It's time ta take care a' that last part, mate" he informed the blue eyed child heavily. There was a weight the size of space on his shoulders right now and the last thing he could manage was a straight face. Jack squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his teeth, mewling unstably and shaking his head against Bunny's shoulder.

Bunny wished that he wasn't so capable of compassion, "M' sorry, kid," he bit out difficulty. "It's gotta be done," he continued apologetically. Now, more than anything, Jack wanted to prevent the tears from building on his lower lashes, but it was too strong to control; they flooded his face like a broken dam. He sensed the Pooka's chin lowering and perching on his shuddering shoulder blade with a thick, guilt ridden, respiration. "Come on Frosty," the elder encouraged sadly. Jack could practically see the furrow in his brow from his tone of voice alone. "I promise I'll do it real quick... like a band-aid," he persuaded imploringly, recognizing that the quicker they got it done, the sooner it would be over.

The spirit in his lap began to shiver forcefully, "B-But I don't wanna," he protested pitifully, pressing his countenance firmly against the rabbit's chest as sobs gushed in his throat.

Spring shaded emeralds fell defeatedly, and with a closing sigh, Bunny breathed out his last reply, "I know, Jackie. I know.."

...

North paced the perimeter surrounding the globe anxiously with his hands wringing themselves behind his back and his concentration pointed at the floor. He was uncommonly dour in appearance and humorless in demeanor, far too worried over their youngest Guardian's situation to behave with his textbook jolliness. His blue gaze would flicker up every so often, checking the skylight for any sign of fairies or golden sand to alert him of the pair's arrival; however, there had been a distinct absence of both so far.

Some of the yetis and elves observed cautiously from the sidelines, never daring to approach the man or get close enough to disturb his constant back and forth. His aura was off, disturbing the functional working environment that the Pole usually held throughout most of the year. The staff was disconcerted and therefore unable to focus on their jobs. The workshop had slowed, just faintly, realizing in shock-waves that there was a problem with something somewhere that affected all of them. The garbled whisper of gossip had somewhat briefed the population of the potential cause for this happening, but no one was dumb enough to bring it up around the russian or ask about it further.

After awhile, a glimmer of gold caught North's attention and sure enough, tiny tendrils of sand stretched through the arial opening of the room as a large cloud of dream sand wandered in. Resting atop the mass was Sandy, looking perplexed and tired. "Sandy, I am glad you made it," North greeted far more calmly than he normally did; there was simply no time for such pleasantries. The small spirit pointed to the image of a bed with Z's floating over it above his head, earning a knowing nod from his larger friend, "Yes yes I know you are busy. Is very important." he assured. Before Sandy could ask for further elaboration, a faint humming drifted into the area, followed by a fast feminine voice and a barrage of high squeaks.

"A lateral incisor in Richmond, Indiana- 2019 E. Main St!"

"Tooth."

"Oh! Oh! Two cuspids and a molar in Phoenix, Arizona; 1052 West-"

"Tooth!"

Lively spheres halted to downcast, the endless fluttering slowing just barely as the woman's concentration was drawn away from a frantic pace. The tiny beings scattered about her head grew uncommonly still, bringing a sense of dread to the recipient of the stare. It wouldn't be long until their peaceful ignorance was blown sky high and never recovered in it's descent. The room had gone quiet and attentive, and he was now painfully aware of the confused gazes clinging to him. Perhaps the commotion had been better, when they had been too caught up in their own worlds to listen to his every word, instead of revolving solely around his explanation. A distinct ache undulated across his lungs, making the air undesirable and bitter to the tip of his tongue when he breathed it in. Who would want such awful oxygen when it was going to be used for a purpose like this? North yearned for the ability to uplift his own study, to muster up the courage he was famed for to look them in the eye, but the natural movement just short-circuited each time he called on it.

The two levitating Guardians exchanged wary glances before Sandy hovered low to level his height with the swordsman's. The sparkling particles shimmered as they shifted into vague pictures above the small spirit's head. An 'x' materialized first, proceeded by an equal sign and then a curly question mark; an equation, in other words. The bearded man released a long worn out sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose gently, "I have bad news, my friends." He revealed mournfully. The melancholy mood drifting through the other's tone offset the lithe fairy queen enough to bring her feet to the extent of touching the wooden boards. Delicate hands wrapped around each other, grasping mildly and holding securely to her feathered chest, shielding the most fragile part of herself in preparation for the impact.

The atmosphere dampened uncomfortably, growing unbearably dry for only one occupant to the point where it was impossible to utilize once he opened his mouth to attempt speech. "Wait!" Tooth interrupted. Her brow creased inward while amethyst flecks skimmed the workshop in their midst, although it was Sandy who pointed out the grim factor that Tooth had noticed. Immediately, the image of an egg and a snowflake appeared over his concerned expression.

Tooth looked at the golden man and then back at North, "Where are Bunny and Jack?" she inquired aloud. The silence was less comforting than ever in regards to the question that had been voiced when the reaction time desired was so inhumanly swift. The pause could have been easily overlooked; however, had North not buckled beneath the weight of dependence. It was impossible to keep her stare though; it was too honest, too desperate...too forced into denial. The inkling remained, like a splotch on her retinas, even as pointless faith tried to blot it back out. It begged him, and him alone, to confirm her hopes and disprove her fears...and that was simply something he could not do.

Unable to avoid and incapable of deception, he yielded and met the scuffed surface of his boot.

It was the worst way to answer an interrogation, it was the worst possible way that he could have let the girl down; he had practically dropped her. An emptiness swelled within the hummingbird's chest, it was void and yet held so much pressure against the rest of her organs that it hurt; it drove fury and fright and a shield that was shattering. Her svelte frame shuddered, tender sorrow giving way to blind helpless rage that beat against her breast with an animalistic brutality she was unfamiliar with. Fingers tensed, nails puncturing the velvet flesh of her palm as pink lips pursed with the flutter of defiance in her stomach. Each breath was like a palpitation, pulsating with the same vigor as her heart and shaking when she exhaled. Her abdomen shivered, sending sharp ripples over her veins and speeding the harsh flow of blood even more. She approached her comrade, with a tenseness she rarely displayed, and placed her hands on his broad shoulders. The gesture shocked the blue eyed man once he perceived the quality of uncharacteristic roughness that was expressed by her fingertips. They dug in through the layers of his thick coat, almost enough to prick at his bare flesh and draw blood. Violet flames roared ferociously within gemlike irises, boring into his own recessive azure with a scorching sentiment that threatened to burn through every last mental barrier he had until nothing was left standing when the untamable wildfire unleashed itself.

The woman was different and terrifying in this ray of light, a force to be reckoned with that demanded the answers he had foolishly refused to give her. Rainbow feathers, usually smooth and glossy, were ruffled violently about her entire figure, creating a frightening image to replace the formerly sweet and fragile persona she endowed. Her wings were a blur, moving somehow faster than usual and emitting a virtually angry wasp-like drone.

An uneven breath ghosted against his paled cheek as the Guardian of Memories unclenched her jaw to whisper a grave and urgent command.

"_**What.**_happened. to them?"

...

Destruction.

It looked like a weblike crack forming in a pane of glass; large, long, noticeable, and growing.

It showed as vibrantly in her eyes as it had in Jack's. North didn't know where the fearsome creature he had been faced with seconds ago had gone, all he knew was that he was the one who had caused it to run and hide. He wallowed in that knowledge, wishing that the burden hadn't been brought upon him. Tears built rapidly in her eyes, refusing to fall as the touch fell sharply from him; not bothering to linger, but just dropping as if his words had evaporated every single bone in the poor girl's body. She trembled before him, countenance drenched with dismay and disbelief. She shook her head suddenly, plumage flattening and raising simultaneously as she did so, "No. No no," she stammered in a watery tone. It was a plea, a wish that should have been uttered sooner, reflecting a nightmare that had just been realized.

The warrior reached out, wanting to comfort her, only to have her jerk away savagely. The fire in her eyes was unbearable, freezing him to the spot while still burning him the longer she held to the look of franticness. Fear was prominent in the wide regard, like a deer caught in the bright flash of oncoming headlights with no escape and no way to undo what had already been done. "No!" she screamed, refusing to harbor the comprehension. She shot into the air and raced out of the room in the direction of Jack's, leaving behind her a small scatter of blue and green feathers.

...

They ran after her, and she flew faster, far too fast for either of them to catch up. North begged her to stop. He warned her, warned her not to make this mistake, that she wouldn't be able to handle it. He wished he had time to alert Bunny so that he could help to prevent her from seeing, but there was no way to predict the woman's reactions...or her timing. Tooth didn't listen, she couldn't; she had gone deaf to their tonalities. The fairy couldn't bring herself to accept, to stop, or to listen any longer.

It was a lie. It must be.

There was no other explanation for something so dreadful.

Slim fingers threw the portal open, the door slamming against the wall before the duo at her tail could round the last corner. Feathers swished as her shadow flitted over the floorboards, eyes searching and heart pounding in her chest. It was the gasp, which her hands couldn't stifle fast enough though that notified the approaching party of her discovery. Within minutes, a sound that had been smothered was released from the contained space. Free of the walls encasing it, it drifted into the corridors, starting out mute. At first, the places it reached were unable to figure out the cause for it; it was too weak to identify, too gentle to grasp, too familiar to acknowledge. The creatures who's ears could catch it though seemed to stall, filled with a foreboding sense that worsened the longer they were exposed to it. Then the utterance became louder and suddenly it was far _too_ clear what the cause was. The cries were deafening, laced with trauma and filled with a pain that could only be expressed at a fraction, but it wasn't Tooth's voice...

Jack laid curled up to the best of his ability on Bunny's chest, clutching handfuls of white and pulling them close to his face. Most of his features were concealed against the large Pooka, using the other as a living shield to hide from something unreal. The spirit's, anxiety driven, cling was wholly accepted by the man, his touch bearing an understanding that bordered on recognition. The rabbit sat propped up against the youth's headboard, strong arms draped protectively over the small frame while large paws managed an obscure gentleness towards the distraught teenager.

The sight was foreign and the intensity of the emotion, uncommon, for the particular individual displaying it. The interaction between the two had been limited to her eyes, and this wasn't playful teasing or somewhat friendly fighting; it was far more personal than she had ever seen them behave. Claws remained dormant, stroking the sprite's unkept hair and back, lenient and exceptionally mindful of the delicacy Jack currently embodied. Green spheres were soft, unrecognizably so, but focused vigilantly on the boy, watching him with an unplaceable tenderness. It was a hawk-like attentiveness that spoke through the kind demeanor being displayed, allowing onlookers the knowledge that a primal being still lurked below the loving gaze. The swirling solicitude that proved powerful muscles and sharp nails could still be utilized at any minute to successfully guard the child held in those arms. It could be seen so easily, the slight threat in emeralds that forewarned potential harm-bringers of what the elder was capable of doing. The manner was saved for a single person and that person alone, it was reserved and anyone who thought otherwise would be fatally corrected for thinking themselves included. The danger was predominant, but subdued only for the slim second in which the youngling was near.

As the duo interacted, Tooth found it strange to see something so capable of combat and carnage acting with this amount of care and restraint... Or perhaps it was simply stranger to see that creature exhibiting it to such a degree, when knowing all the while that the motions were reserved for this happening specifically.

The desire to forbid wandering was denied, permitting the female visual perception of what she dared not examine up close. Jack's upper body was bare with the exception of parts that were now riddled with freshly lain bandages, while his lower half was hidden, partially by sheets and also a pair of grey sweatpants that flooded around his ankles. His regular attire was discarded beside the bed amongst gruesomely scarlet-remnant paw prints that littered the floorboards; the hood was snared and the pants were bloody..

Silhouettes lingered in the doorway, too afraid to break past the threshold and interrupt the bitter immobility with footsteps of their own.

Tears broke free, falling in large heated droplets that were far too capable of keeping up with a demand for more. The hand over her mouth tightened, vainly endeavoring to stifle the sharp intake of breath she emitted as heavy lashes squinted past the onslaught of moisture. She fled from the scene faster than she had to it, lacking placement and control. The cobalt flicker that solicited when she passed was ignored, violets too heavy to find familiarity or seek consolation. A feathered shoulder collided with solid red, but the contact lingered scarcely as she went by. It was unnoticed, forgotten because it had never been recorded. She was detached from the sights and unconnected with the sounds; the world was slipping through her trembling fingers. It was a cruel trick of the mind that insisted on playing with her in her clamber. The hallway grew alarmingly in length, it's size increasing to a threatening level; easily overpowering the fairy's scrambled perception with it's meager illusion. Breaths shortened two feet from the scene, just out of the entryway's general view, preventing occupants from witnessing and onlookers from intruding.

Trapped in her own vulnerability, Tooth stalled in her coveted escape, hovering momentarily before colorful wings stopped.

They halted unexpectedly and without warning whilst the mini-fairies ceased their twitter. Neither North nor Sandy had enough time to intercept the girl's collapse, but even if they had- they doubted she would have wanted them to. The descent was abrupt and inelegant, lacking elements the female held unthinkingly in her daily life. She landed tactlessly on the ground to join the stray feathers that had fallen in the seconds prior to her, dropping to unstable knees. They wobbled and tilted, uncertain wether or not they could manage the weight of the crumbling Guardian for very long. It was a violent shudder followed by a pitiful, jerk-like, spasm of her muscles that brought her to her side where she braced her palm roughly against the floor to stop her plunge. Her slender legs folded beside her with a nearly graceful haphazardness to their arrangement as amethyst orbs peered into nothing, reflecting a despair that felt endless. The hybrid leaned heavily on her rigid shoulder, faltering whenever she tried not to do so, her dignity draining to allow the personification of her disintegrating maternity. Earth was decaying below and sky was gravity stricken to the point where flight was a far off dream of fantasy. Naivety hid, but was cast out of her eyes before it could attempt an escape; it had nowhere to flee. It was the same way any other mother would react to finding out that her child would never be the same again.

The thought was unimaginable, and yet it was a reality...she just couldn't cope.

The hummingbird lowered her head to her hand and began to sob, mourning the loss of both her baby and her sanity. Tooth's back arched, showing off the abnormally inanimate folded wings settled against her spine as the tiny copies above her mimicked, falling to the wooden panels and her shoulders to share in the desperation.

As the pair, still standing on the line separating two different but unduly identical worlds of anguish, stood, they found that they couldn't depart from their position; powerless to decide which realm to invade and which to abandon. No matter what they chose it would lead to disaster, neither situation needed nor wanted their immediate attention. Bunny was already providing Jack with everything he required, and Jack would never let anyone besides Bunny try to give it to him anyways.

Tooth would not accept comfort if they offered it either, this wasn't agony that could be healed by their support of shared emotion. The woman was strong even in sorrow and remarkably stubborn when she wanted to be isolated, to interrupt would catastrophic. Tooth required a lack of reprieve from the affair, a period that was devoid of distraction, a place of focus. She would come to the others in time, but for now, she needed solitude and would want nothing to do with them, or anyone else for that matter.

An inaudible sigh passed Sandy's lips, his amber spheres down-casted in despondency while he vainly strove to float higher to feign uniformity. It was an obvious lie, but no one bothered to distract with the peculiar tinge of the Sandman's golden complexion, rendering the attempt null. With his lip drawn and his hooded regard shadowed in an ironic exhaustion, the small spirit tugged on North's pant leg to get his attention. Up until the moment the man met his stare, he hadn't noticed the formation of dark rings beneath the others eyes that seemed to blacken when a number of symbols popped up above his head. That was unsettling... The sand wouldn't sparkle, it was visibly slower and the color was now dull and lifeless looking.

North only nodded sadly in agreement and stepped back so that he could shut the door leading to Jack's room. Hand clasped tightly about the knob, he listened to the soft click of the lock, feeling even more disinclined to follow through now that he was able to hear the harmony of both voices. Even through the thickness of the walls he could overhear him. More troubled than impaired, he let go and motioned for Sandy to follow as he pivoted to reluctantly withdraw.

Sandy was right, there wasn't anything either of them could do right now. Although the rift was growing large between their divided teammates, the swordsman was confident that it would only remain so for a short time. The detachment would only be temporary...

But for now, there was clearly no place for them here.

_TBC_

_**Yay! Happy Easter! Since I didn't post a christmas chapter on time this year I decided why not give you guys an Easter gift? Quite literally, this time Easter **_**is**_** more important than Christmas. Lol! Okay well this chapter has taken me sooooo long to right and I'm not all that happy with how it came out. I used a lot of words over and over and at this point I've just decided to screw it it's not getting any better. So please don't comment on that. I went through like five not being able to write stages during this chapter so sorry and I rewrote and corrected more than any human being on the planet should for just one chapter. Personally I liked making Tooth a badass in the first part and I loved having her describe Bunny and Jack. And also my fucking crowning achievement in this entire chapter is that i found the perfect fracking place to add this and do it as a whole...Bunny referred to jack...as love...**_

_**-Pause for epic fangirl screams-**_

_**I was so pleased with myself at that part it's not even funny. Okay well I'm definitely rambling at this point, but I really hope all of you guys like it. I've gotten so much awesome feedback and there are even people on the Tumblr JackRabbit page who are like advertising this which is like the most flattering thing for me. I'm advertised...I literally squealed. Oh and because i just remembered I found a video that is for Jack and Bunny and it's to the song 'Safe and Sound' -a guys singing it though- and I think I have found the entire soundtrack for Tainted Snow lol! Honestly I never ever looked at the song before this...and it's just perfect. Oh and the weird part where jack's eyes get like really really bright and shit..defintely borrowed the imagery from the first Lord of the rings movie where Frodo is like dying. And last fun tidbit is that the adresses Tooth lists off...those are real. I looked them up cause i wanted to be accurate! lol. Sorry sorry rambling again. Thankx for the support and make sure to review..I love reviews!**_

_**Happy Easter!**_


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